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Category: Motherhoood

When my daughter, Sophie, was 16 she won a scholarship to Atlantic College on the coast of Wales in the UK. When she was notified that she had won the scholarship we were excited and overwhelmed in equal measure. It was amazing opportunity and one not to be missed but it was a huge journey for me as a single mum, to let her go across the other side of the world at that age .. to follow her passion and dreams.

I decided to create a sisterhood quilt that would honor the women that had gone before her and the woman that inspired her and that surrounded her now, as well as the inspiring peacemakers at home or abroad and the heroines she loved in books and films.

Wire coat hangers are one of those things, like odd socks, that multiply in your wardrobe surreptitiously over time. This is a great use for at least one of them!

It’s a 30 minutes exercise and delivers an instant Christmas wreath… simple and easy for kids to make too.

You can tie the greenery or flowers to the wire or just twist it round and around, depending on how soft and bendy the flowers stalks are. It’s also a wonderful way to used fresh picked herbs which are soft enough twist around and add a lovely fragrance to the room.

And at the end of the post you’ll find a Found Feather Wreath which is also just as quick and easy if you already have a feather collection.

A vintage linen runner, simply stitched, which I recently purchased from Faded Emporium inspired this design for an “easy-as” DIY version.

Just stitch together linen tea towels and voila! For instance, for a French country look you might like striped red and white linen or for a more Australian look just the raw linen perhaps with a faint little stripe.

(as they are already hemmed you don’t even need to own a sewing machine!)

This recipe for Yammy Drops (yummy and jammy) is really a healthier version of the old fashioned jam drop. But don’t expect the same shortbread consistency, these are chock full of nutty flavours drawn from the sunflower seeds, tahini and almond meal and sweetened with maple syrup .. (the jam in the middle is a real treat). They’re great for school lunch boxes or to satisfy that 3pm low point when you’re normally seeking out chocolate!!

A walnut grower selling from a stall in a Canberra market last Saturday shared with me the “best ever” tip for opening walnuts in the shell. No more nut crackers needed when you follow these simple steps.

And to celebrate the joy of walnuts we have a recipe for Fresh Apple and Walnut Clusters … too chunky and full of apple, walnuts and raisins to be called a muffin !

Following on from our focus to transition slowly (the 20% rule) to healthier alternatives for the traditional ingredients we love … Here is a pastry-free crust for quiches or savoury tarts that really works a treat. You can prepare this sweet potato crust in the pie dish or tin and freeze it so you always have it on hand when you need a quick and tasty lunch or dinner. Especially good when you’re wanting the whole family to eat just a little bit healthier. Enjoy!

It’s often the case that when come away from a retreat, a seminar or a book you are fired up to make major changes to our life. We approach the pantry and the fridge with evangelical zeal throwing out the bad food, restocking with new ingredients you’ve never used before. You then announce to the family the new regime only to find they are resentful, the change is confronting and ultimately we retreat feeling like a failure.

Take a tip from the ancient philosophy of Ayurveda: The 25% rule – the secret to making changes to your lifestyle that “stick” and try this simple Ayurvedic recipe for the perfect rice and learn about “the 6 Tastes” to make every meal satisfying and nourishing.

Our diets have changed a bit since the 1950’s and one thing that strikes you is how much refined white sugar there is in these recipes. So I’ve begun to tweak the recipes and transition them to healthy versions of the ingredient. It’s not a full abandonment of the original ingredients so there’s not a big change in the chemistry or experience of the final cake or slice or dessert.

Here is a delicious, chewy and easy-to-make Canadian Walnut Slice. Perfect for a cup of tea. It’s just a transition recipe so we gradually get used to a warmer kind of sweetness not so sharp and we replace the grains with one that’s a little better for our digestion.